The slippery roads and iced over parking lots last Monday provided hazardous conditions for students arriving at school, and some students felt as though the school should have given a late start.
After ten hours of snowing through the night and into the morning, most roads were left partially covered in wet slippery snow, and several rural roads in the PV school district were left unplowed. The combination of heavy winds and inexperienced high school drivers posed a threat for potentially harmful car accidents.
Many students anticipated a late start to give plows time to clean up the roads and wipe away the chances of an accident. However, the school district was not concerned about placing its students in potentially treacherous situations.
The school’s lack of caution can likely be attributed to the immensely cold winter last year that involved the polar vortex. Last January, the school cancelled, delayed or let students out early at least once every week. This extended the school year into June and resulted in lengthened school days for three weeks in March to accommodate for the missed hours of school.
Junior Joey Borbeck, as well as other students in early bird lifting, faced these harsh winter weather before six in the morning. “None of the roads in my neighborhood had been plowed, the main roads had been barely touched, and the school parking lots were covered in slick ice. Even with a big truck, I was sliding all over the place,” he said.
Fellow Junior Jack Thompson did not quite understand why there was not a late start. “The school should prioritize students’ safety. I think if there’s an elevated risk at car accidents then the start time should be delayed,” Thompson said.
The school does not need to look further than the Quad Cities to decipher whether the conditions of the roads were safe. Around noon, hours after PV’s start time, two semis were involved in a fatal accident in Rock Island. Even though they were driving inferior snow vehicles and on the interstate, it is alarming that the school did not take steps to protect their students.
Most students agree upon the fact that last year’s change in school schedule due to weather was long and tiresome. However, the safety of students and their cars should be prioritized above the slight inconvenience of extending the school year for a few weeks longer.
